A to Z-Why I am a Rancher!

A to Z-Why I am a Rancher!

A to Z-Why I am a Rancher!Howdy from the Circle L!As I was thinking about what my next blog post should be, I started making a list of why I am a Rancher. I am going to share this list with you all from A to Z!!A- Animals/Abilities/Animal HealthAnimals- What would ranch life be without all the animals? I mean you can never have too many ranch animals!! From frogs to chickens, to cows and horses, every animal on the Circle L has its place.Abilities- Every rancher needs abilities from multitasking to empathy.Animal health- This is very important! On the Circle L, it is our job to make sure each and every animal is cared for day in and day out.B-Buckaroo/BeefBuckaroo- I just like this word!! It’s another word for cowboy.Beef- Raising beef is what I do. That is all. Are there any questions?C-Cattle/Cowgirl/Community/ChoresCattle- They are what make me a rancher; it is just part of the deal.Cowgirl- Being a cowgirl goes farther than the clothes, it is a way of life.(I am not sure I have received the official “cattlewoman certificate” because it is a learning experience and I want to keep on learning.)Community- This is an important part of being a rancher. From community service to supporting the local school, library, etc. Being a rancher is all about supporting those around you.Chores-Chores-Chores- They are never ending, but a valuable piece of ranching.D-Dog/Dirt Roads/DeathDOG- Yep, you read that right. Being a rancher includes a few good dogs.Dirt Roads- As long as we have dirt roads, we will all be OK.Death- This is a touchy subject, but we all know it happens and it is OK.E-Entertainment/Experience/Education/Ethics/EnvironmentEntertainment- There is always some kind of entertainment on the ranch. Being a rancher-mom means that I have a front seat to a circus every day.Experience- You know when you fill out a resume for a job and they want you to list your experiences? Well, where should we start? Manager, business partner, banker, tax accountant, vet, range land specialist, blogger, feed specialist, book keeper…………….Education- Most days I get an education.Ethics- Business ethics, animal treatment ethics, work ethics.Environment- Sunsets and sunrises and long cattle drives are when I enjoy the environment. Protecting this environment by responsible grazing and farming is our responsibility. F-Food Safety/FFA/Future/Faith/FamilyFood safety- It is my responsibility to make sure that the beef product that I send to the feedlot is healthy and safe.FFA- This organization has taught me so many lessons and in my younger years, prepared me to be a rancher.Future- Agriculture is in good hands. I want to make sure that I am doing my part in making sure it continues in the right direction by teaching my children and other children.Faith- Being a rancher takes faith and a lot of it.Family- What makes a ranch a home and what ranching is all about. G-Ground/Grass/GMO/GenerationsGround- My Cowboy and I own a acres of grass for all our cattle.GMO- I am very aware of GMO’s and all I have to say about them is quite simple; they have been around for over 30 years and I am glad. Confused about GMO’s? Ask me, I will help you out.Generations- One of my goals as a rancher is to pass our ranch to the next generation. How am I going to do that? Take care of what was passed down to me. From managing the ground and livestock to the finances, I am doing my best EVERY DAY.H-Horses/HayingHorses- My mom used to tell me that I was born on the back of a horse. Well, we know that isn’t true, but it’s almost true!! I mean I was raised in the horse barn. I love horses and horses happen to be part of ranching.Haying- The job that seems to never get finished. It is important to have hay for all the animals in the winter months so, we keep on keeping on.I-InvestmentInvestment- This means inquiring asset. I can tell you by experience that investing in ranch land has been one of the best choices I have made.J- Job SecurityAs long as I am a rancher, I will have job security.K-KidsI am thankful that I can raise our kids on our ranch.L-Love/LifeLoving life as a rancher. That’s is all I have to say about L!M-Memories/Meadows Management/MomMemories- I love that ranching offers the opportunity to make family memories.Managing our meadows- You have to do it or you’re out of a job!Mom- Ranching mothers have to be creative at times. I’m thankful for the challenge and the mother it has made me!N- Neighbors/Natural ResourcesNeighbors- Help from neighbors is essential on a family run ranch. Their help allows our and their ranch work done whether in the spring, summer, fall or winter; they are always just a phone call away.Natural resources- God given on our ranch for a reason so we can be productive in raising beef.O- Open Range/OpportunitiesOpen range- A necessity for cattle. As long as we have open range, I know that there will always be a job for me.Opportunities- Being a rancher has brought me many opportunities including being the President of our local affiliate of the Nebraska Cattlemen.P-Patience/PeaceWhat does patience and peace have in common with ranching? Well some work on the ranch takes patience like sorting cattle with My Cowboy and fixing tractors when they break down time and again, but it brings me peace to step out on our front step and see cattle, horses and rolling sand hills. Q-Quality of LifeI cannot think of any other profession that I would rather be doing. I chose to be a rancher because of the features of the lifestyle. My quality of life on the ranch includes everything from physical health, family, education, employment, religious beliefs, finance and the environment.R-Respect/Ranching/RecycleRespect, ranching and recycle…..Ranching is respecting our land and using our resources to recycle.S-Stewards of the Land/Scenery/Sand hills/SunPart of being a successful ranch is being a steward of the land. I want to make sure that I leave our ranch land better than it was when we took over the ranch.Driving home every day from town, I admire the scenery. You don’t have to look very far to see God’s work.I won’t lie, when I came to the Sand hills I didn’t understand them at all. I actually thought they were like the hills in Wyoming. Boy, was I totally wrong. I am in love with the Nebraska Sand Hills. God knew what he was doing when he made the rolling hills hereSun. Sun. Sun- We all need a little sunshine in our lives.T-Testimony/TaxesTestimony- Mine, today and every day, is that I am doing what God has planned for me. Being a rancher adds to my testimony.

Taxes- Oh my! It must be included on the list because quite frankly that is what is on my mind as I type this. LAND TAXES. In Nebraska the land taxes are high and wide!U-Understand/Useful/ United StatesUnderstand ranch life is very useful in the United States. (Do you see what I did?)V-Valuable/View/VisionI know that my view as a rancher is valuable to those around me. My vision of ranch life is amazing and I am glad that I can share my story with you.W-Water/Way of Life/Western/Wildlife/Windmill/WindWater- One of the most important resources on our ranch. Our cattle, wildlife and my family all depend on it. This western way of life is special! And, what a life it is!Windmills and wind- extremely valuable resource on our ranch. Without the wind the windmills will not pump the water for all the animals. X-X Marks the spot of where I get to be a rancherOk, I have to admit, trying to find an word that starts with X was impossible for me. So, I am going to say that X marks a spot in the western side of the Sand Hills where I get to be a rancher.Y- You I am thankful that I can share my story with YOU! Thanks for reading.Z-Zip CodeI don’t know, does zip code go with ranching? I could say in many cases in the Sand Hills there are more cows than people per zip code, and I like it that way!There you have it, A to Z of a few things about being a rancher. What do you think, can you add any to my list?Happy Friday, from the Circle L!!